11 May 24

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Wildlife Site, Easton Railway Cuttings and Perryfield Quarry Butterfly Reserve

We are definitely liking this weather, lots of sun and heat. It's been a long time coming, but I fear the forecast for next week isn't as good.

Highlights today were 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap and a Chiffchaff all singing from around the meadow and wildlife site.

Also noted was my first damselfly this year. a female Azure.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
2 Common Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Not a sight you see that often. A Song Thrush.........

..........more or less in the open. However after a........

............ brief serenade, two dog walkers scared it off..............

..................and I heard it later from deep within this thicket.

I'm going to have to call this the resident Chiffchaff in Old Quarry lane. It's been singing away now for nearly a month from the Sycamore tree at the end of the lane.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

My first Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) of the year. This is a female.

Butterflies Recorded:
Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
1 Speckled Wood
1 Peacock

Moths Recorded:
12+ Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella)
1 Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella)

3 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

A Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella). Quite numerous at the moment.

My first Swan-feather Dwarf (Elachista argentella) of the year.

Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

Bees Recorded:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

A Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Hoverflies Recorded:
Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)

Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

A female Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

A 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

One of 11 Dock Bugs (Coreus marginatus) seen on just one plant.

Plants:
Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)

Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)

This is Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) and a new plant which........

..............I have passed many times, especially along the Easton Railway Cuttings. More on this vetch here.

Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)

Ted and Theo:

Ted having an amble whilst........

...........Theo on the other hand is going for it.